BULB

noun Etymology: Middle English, from Latin ~us, from Greek bolbos ~ous plant Date: 15th century 1. a resting stage of a plant (as the lily, onion, hyacinth, or tulip) that is usually formed underground and consists of a short stem base bearing one or more buds enclosed in overlapping membranous or fleshy leaves, a fleshy structure (as a tuber or corm) resembling a ~ in appearance, a plant having or developing from a ~, a ~-shaped part, a rounded or swollen anatomical structure, a camera setting that indicates that the shutter can be opened by pressing on the release and closed by ending the pressure, ~ed adjective